


Scars, Snakes, and Surprises

by Emrhys



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst, Bromance, Bullying, Friendship, Gen, Gift Giving, Holidays, Hurt Noctis Lucis Caelum, Noctis Whump, Threats
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:47:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28435611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emrhys/pseuds/Emrhys
Summary: "Upon seeing the note, 'From Prompto,' Gladio glanced to Ignis with deep concern and anger. Ignis responded by shaking his head, mouthing, 'It couldn’t be.'Gladio furrowed his brows and bared his teeth in a silent, 'If it is, I’ll kill him myself.'"------------It's the Holiday Season and Noctis receives a threatening gift that plays with his trauma. The note on the gift says, "From Prompto"
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia & Prompto Argentum & Noctis Lucis Caelum & Ignis Scientia
Comments: 7
Kudos: 59





	1. Scars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis discusses some history with Prompto

“Whoa, where’d you get that?” Prompto leaned in close, pointer finger hovering over the discolored and misshapen lines across Noctis’ back.    
  
“Uh…” Noctis stalled, his hand preoccupied with fastening his belt as they changed in the school’s locker room. “You don’t know?” 

Prompto shook his head, pulling his own shirt over his head and haphazardly knotting his tie. 

Noctis could see a fervent fire building behind those curious, violet eyes and restlessness gnawing at his friend’s lips. Noctis sighed, surrendering an explanation after all. “Remember in grade school when we were like eight? I disappeared for a bit after we had first met.”

“Uh, kind of, I guess.” Prompto’s voice got low as he lied. Of course he remembered. He couldn’t have forgotten how he had made a fool of himself falling in front of the young Prince and how desperately he wanted to redeem himself the next day. Though, Noct never showed up to school again and Prompto burdened himself with horrible thoughts, questioning why someone like the Crown Prince would want to hang out with a kid that looked like him. He thought about it every day until they reunited again just last year starting high school. 

“I never went back to school because I got into an accident.” Noctis winced, preparing himself for the follow up questions. 

Prompto’s hands dropped from his tie, giving all of Noct his attention. “Whoa, are you serious?”

“Yeah, daemon attack. This- this snake…  _ thing _ . I didn’t understand it back then and I kind of don’t remember a lot of it anymore. People died that day and I was, uh, I was in a coma.” He had thought he’d forgotten it, but the memories came back to him in vague scenes. Running, bleeding,  _ dying _ . Noctis braced himself against his locker. 

Prompto placed a hand on Noctis’ shoulder, easing him back to the present. “That’s why you never showed up to school again. Dude, I had no idea.”

Noct inhaled deeply, fiddling with his shirt bunched up in his hands. “I mean, I got better, obviously. And then got shipped off to Tenebrae where the Fleuret family helped me. You know, Luna and her family?” 

“Yeah, Lady Lunafreya,” Prompto repeated, following along intently. Sadness and guilt started to bubble up inside him for not knowing any of this. 

“They helped me out a lot. I still couldn’t walk really when my dad came to visit and, uh, there was another attack.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah, it was… bad. I’m sure you heard of the Occupation of Tenebrae? I haven’t spoken to Luna since then. Not face to face or anything anyways.”

“Just the book, yeah?”

“Yep,” Noctis slipped into his shirt, buttoning it up quickly.

“I can’t believe you were there for that. Is that why…” Prompto looked to Noctis’ weaker leg.   
  
“The limp? Maybe,” Noctis paused, truly considering it before he resigned. “Probably.”

Heavy footsteps echoed into the locker room, interrupting their privacy. The two boys who rolled their eyes knowing who those pointed steps belonged to. 

“Well, well, if it isn’t Prince  _ Cock _ tis and his royal mutt.”

“What do you want Anguis?” Prompto spat at the other boy not too much taller than either himself nor the Prince. His sleeves were rolled up, Prompto observed, as if he was already expecting a fight. 

He was sure that Noctis could take this guy on knowing Noctis had been training in combat for years. And Prompto saw his trainer a few times too: one of the biggest guys he’d ever seen and only three years older than them. But knowing that didn’t stop Prompto from getting between Anguis and Noctis. Like hell he’d let anything happen to him. 

Noctis only gathered his things quickly, shoving his tie into his bag, and pulling his coat on while he gestured for Prompto to ignore the other student. 

“Man, you and the whole royal family have no guts,” Anguis laughed. “Are you hiding in this corner of the locker rooms because you can’t change in front of everyone else like a real man or do you really think you’re that special,  _ Your Highness.” _ He hissed every word with venom.

“Shows how much you know. Noct is the strongest guy in the world! He even survived a daemon snake attack and has the scars to prove it!” Prompto gave Anguis the meanest glare he could muster. 

“Prom!” Noct exclaimed. There was hurt in his voice that made Prompto snap his mouth shut.

“Oh yeah? Daemon snake, huh? Let me see then,” Anguis bulldozed through Prompto, towards Noct, shoving the Prince back against the locker door with a raucous clang. He stared into Noctis’ eyes just an inch from his face, his eyes dripping with hatred and pleasure all at the same time. 

“Piss off!” Noctis yelled, motioning to shove him back, phasing through him with what looked like a sizzle of blue stardust gusting through Anguis. Noctis didn’t hesitate storming out of the room, grabbing Prompto by the arm, and practically dragging him along. 

“You’re lucky you have the crystal’s magic,” Anguis cried after them, shaking out from his initial surprise.

“You’re lucky he hasn’t used it on you!” Prompto called back, stumbling behind Noctis.    
  
“Prompto!” Noctis reprimanded again through grit teeth. 

They moved fast, Noctis’s momentum and his grip on Prompto’s arm unyielding until they made it to the main streets of the city. 

Prompto dared to speak first when it became unbearable. “Noct, you’re hurting me.” 

“Shit,” Noctis let go immediately, shocked at himself for how hard he was gripping. “I didn’t mean to-” He rubbed color back into his knuckles. “Prom, I-”

“Nah, dude. It’s fine. It’s just- you okay?” Prompto tested, resisting the urge to rub his own arm. 

Noctis huffed, rage still pumping through his heart. He ran his hands through his hair and started pulling at the roots. Prompto gripped Noctis’ wrists and placed them gently at his sides before Noctis could spiral into something Prompto couldn’t save him from. 

“Yeah. Are- are you?” Noctis’ voice was just above a whisper, letting his friend tend to him. 

Prompto zipped up Noctis’ jacket, ignoring the Prince’s rolling eyes, before taking the beanie sticking from his bag and pulling it tightly over Noctis’ head. “It’s okay.  _ I’m _ okay.”

Noctis scoffed. “Thanks,  _ Ignis _ .” He smiled. 

“Hey, when he’s not here, someone’s gotta make sure you don’t freeze.” Prompto returned the smile. “Oh! Hey! You warped! I remember you said you were struggling with it.”

Noctis continued walking, feeling normal again. “I can only go short distances or for a short time. I hit stasis pretty fast and it still makes me nauseated too.”   
  
“I mean, you’re still learning.”

“I guess. My dad learned it when he was a lot younger, though.”

“Aw, c’mon. Don’t think like that. Your dad- I mean His Majesty is His Majesty. You’re you.”

Noctis hummed doubtfully. 

They walked through the streets decorated for the season honoring the Glacian and Fulgurian. Snowflakes, small snow fairies, and other ice motifs symbolized Shiva, while cane-shaped candies and white, billowing beards symbolized Ramuh. It was a time for the Winter festival, celebrating the two Astrals’ friendship, and motivating friends, families, and loved ones to give thoughtful gifts to each other. 

The two went on looking at the colorful light fixtures decorating houses and shops, having bought hot chocolates from the nearby cafe to warm their hands as well as their insides. The sun was getting low and the lights had just turned on, illuminating their world in a soft glow. And with the setting sun came the chill of the evening. Noctis tugged on his beanie as the cold hit his ears, subconsciously prompting Prompto to pull his own jacket tighter. It was time for them to head home. 

Their after school detours were only allowed if Prompto agreed to walk Noctis to his apartment complex before sundown. It was an agreement that didn’t require any negotiation, as Prompto would have done so anyways. Noctis had somehow managed to convince his Royal family and Crownsguard to allow him to live on his own at 16 and as the sole heir to the crown, so he also miraculously convinced them that the Prince was never truly alone if he always had Prompto. Prompto didn’t mind it either, and there was a convenient bus stop a short distance away that would lead him straight home anyways. 

Having reached the lobby of the complex, Noctis stopped to pull something out of his bag. “Hey, Prom. It’s a little early, but-” 

“You didn’t,” Prompto sighed, his shoulders slumping. “Noooct!”

“Prooooom!” Noctis mimicked between a laugh, holding out a small box. “It’s not a big deal.”   
  
Feigning reluctance, though completely excited, Prompto reached for the box. “Can I open it now?”   
  
“If you want.”   
  
Prompto clawed at the poorly affixed wrapping paper Noct surely attempted to wrap himself to unveil the new InSomSung phone that had come out just last month. “Oh em gee. Are you serious, Noct? How much was this?”

Noctis shrugged. “You don’t want me to answer that.”

“I can’t believe it!” Prompto already started to pull it out of the packaging, playing with the buttons to turn it on. 

“You wanted one right? And I figured we could play Kings Knight together since it didn’t run on your phone.”

“Dude!” Prompto pounced, wrapping Noctis into a hug. “I love it!” And he truly did, not because of the price tag or the practicality, but because Noct essentially gifted Prompto more things to do together. 

Noctis shoved himself away from Prompto’s crushing hug. “It’s nothing. Don’t think about getting me anything,” he warned. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to write a cute fic about Prompto wrapping himself in a box and getting sent to Noctis for the Holidays. But it turned into something else entirely, and that's why I didn't publish this on Christmas like I wanted to. I also headcanon that their version of Santa is just a Ramuh/Shiva mix of things. Also, please forgive me for the InSomSung phone. I thought it was funny when I wrote it out.


	2. Snakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noct receives a gift (????) from Prompto (????)

Noctis had meetings for the rest of the week, leaving Prompto to wander the same decorated streets by himself wondering what could he get Noctis, a Prince who essentially could get whatever he wanted, but in actuality, rarely did. Prompto couldn’t afford the designer clothes Noctis actually really did like but rarely got to wear between his suits, uniform, or house sweats. And Noctis bought all the video games he wanted as soon as they released, anyways. He racked his brain looking through the windows of each shop for inspiration. Whatever he decided to get had to be perfect.  
  
Without Noctis’ curfew, it was easy for Prompto to lose track of time. Dark had ate away at the sun and Prompto was still on the search. 

* * *

They were finally free only after the day had bled into the night. Back to back meetings on top of inscrutable paperwork exhausted Ignis and Noctis to the bone. 

“Let’s just order out, so you don’t have to cook,” Noctis suggested, taking a seat on the passenger side of Ignis’ car. 

Ignis hummed thoughtfully as he started the engine. “If I may be completely honest, Noct, I’d prefer that tonight.”

“You pick, then. I’ll order right now.” Noctis pulled out his phone and loosened his tie at the same time. “Should be at the front by the time we get back.” 

“Galahdian, then?”

“Wow, being bad tonight, Specs?”

“Please allow me to indulge this one time, Your Highness,” Ignis teased. 

They had finally made it to Noctis’ apartment. The thought of Galahdian food waiting for them gave them both a second wind and Noctis recounted his encounter with Anguis to Ignis. 

“Look, just don’t tell Gladio, yeah? I don’t want it to be a big deal, and the last thing I want is for him to show up to school, without a shirt and…,” Noctis’ voice trailed off, spying a box sitting in front of his doorstep. As they approached, a tag hung off the side of it reading, “From Prompto.”

Noctis rolled his eyes, snapping a picture of it and texting Prompto, “I told you you didn’t have to get me anything,” accompanied with a frowning face while Ignis fished for his keys and opened the door. As soon as he sent his message, he received a notification that their food had arrived in the lobby. 

“Food’s here,” Noctis informed Ignis.

“Alright, why don’t you bring that inside, while I go grab our dinner?”

“Sounds good.” The box was surprisingly large, about the width of Noctis’ own torso, with a notable weight to it. “I wonder what it could be,” Noctis said to himself as he walked through the front door Ignis held open.  
  
“I’ll be back.”   
  
Noctis set the box on top of the glass table. It was wrapped a lot better than how he had wrapped Prompto’s gift, in a green and red striped pattern with a flamboyant bow. Noctis guessed if it came from a store, they offered to wrap it for Prompto. 

Noctis missed his phone chiming once then a second time as he ripped open the wrapping and pulled apart the flaps of the box. Within it lay a lumpy, but ballish, shape wrapped in more tissue paper. Noctis wondered if it was a joke and the gift was actually really small hidden beneath layers and layers of tissue paper. It seemed like something Prompto would do.  
  
As the layers continued to unfold, Noctis noticed a tackiness to it, covering his fingers and his hands in a layer of dark red. He couldn’t get to his phone like this now. 

By the time it registered what he could possibly be holding, the smell hit him. It was indescribable. Not quite sour and not quite sweet, but strong and curdled. The rotten stench made his stomach turn and he tried to stop himself from gagging. The final layers of tissue paper fell to the floor and Noctis stared between his hands at the disembodied head of a young Grootslang. 

His insides twisted. 

He probably stopped breathing. 

Noctis dropped the head back into the box as he fell backwards, swearing and scrambling some distance away from it until his back hit his couch. He held in whatever noise that tried to rip out from him with sticky, bloodied hands, the smell and building panic making his eyes water.

He didn't even hear the door open, his heartbeat was too loud in his ears. 

"Noct?" Ignis had returned to the unmistakable sounds of Noctis struggling. 

The smell permeated the room.  
  
“Noctis?” Ignis called again, dropping their takeaway at the door, and racing to the other side of the couch that obscured the tight ball Noctis had pressed himself into with his head buried into his knees and fingers tangled in his hair. 

Bloodied fingers. 

Ignis' heart sank, calling out once again more urgently now and managing to pull Noctis out from his shock. Noctis jerked his head up in Ignis' direction, wide-eyed and face smeared with blood and tears. Looking at Ignis broke whatever Noctis tried to keep in, and he sobbed, reaching both arms up for Ignis just as he did when they were children and he had woken up from a nightmare. 

And just the same, Ignis closed the gap between them returning the embrace and allowing Noctis to bury his face in his chest. Noctis was heaving now, shoulders shuddering. Ignis rubbed his back and patted his head as they rocked together, shushing him as his eyes flicked back and forth to put together the pieces of what happened. 

His eyes flitted toward the now opened box, blood soaking the cardboard and dripping off the glass table, stench and all freed from the tissue paper. Ignis encouraged Noctis to cry into his chest to shield his eyes from the gruesome sight he was already exposed to. 

Ignis called Gladiolus first. Without waiting for a greeting, he blurted, "Noct's apartment has been compromised. He will need an escort back to the Citadel immediately." 

Even amidst more phone calls, Gladio was, as expected, the first to arrive. He barreled in in a panic before he could see that Ignis had managed to move Noctis into the couch, wrapped up in a blanket, wringing his hands that looked raw as if they had been washed aggressively.

He observed Ignis looking into Noctis eyes, distracting him by speaking slow as to not lose his attention, rubbing warmth back into his arms. His phone was faced up next to them undoubtedly on speaker phone with The Marshal. And Noctis was staring back with wide, wet eyes, pupils blown in fear, mouth gaping, and chest shuttering trying to get consistent airflow.

Gladio set his sights around the entire apartment, softening his steps whenever he got close to the two. As much as he wanted to stay by Noct, he obeyed his duties first, surveying the room for any additional threats. He approached the kitchen table pinching his nose at the putrid smell. He peeked in the box and saw the bloodied, decapitated head of the Grootslang snakelet. Thanks to all the training he’s done, Gladio recognized that it was newly hatched, but was still amazed at the size of it. And as much as he wanted to toss it out for Noctis’ sake, he couldn’t tamper with any evidence that awaited The Marshal and his team. 

Upon seeing the note, “From Prompto,” Gladio glanced to Ignis with deep concern and anger. Ignis responded by shaking his head, mouthing, “It couldn’t be.”  
  
Gladio furrowed his brows and bared his teeth in a silent, “If it is, I’ll kill him myself.”

Ignis nodded, agreeing to do the same, though he didn’t want to believe such a horrible act could have been done by Noctis' sun-spirited friend. 

“Gladio,” Ignis called him over. “The Marshall will be here soon, and I’d like to gather a few of His Highness’ personal effects.” 

Without hesitation Gladio replaced Ignis sitting at Noctis’ side. He debated throwing his arms over him, as Ignis did, but Noctis had finally stopped crying and Gladio feared any sudden movements would open up the dam. So they sat in silence, staring forward at Ignis opening the windows to let the tainted air escape, until Noctis wordlessly closed his red, baggy eyes and allowed himself to fall sideways onto Gladio’s shoulder. 

Gladio welcomed the gesture by putting his hand to Noctis’ knee, reminding him that he was safe. Had they fought the Grootslang together, he knew Noct would have little difficulty holding his own. But Gladio knew that the shock of unwrapping this in his own home meant something else. It meant security was flawed, it meant someone hated him enough to send him a blood soaked gift. It meant that Noct was not normal and could never be normal. Prince or not, he was only 16. And if it really was Prompto who sent it, Gladio wasn’t sure how much more Noctis could suffer in his young life. 

Noctis heaved a burdened, stuttering sigh, and with it he tried to let go of his fears and frustrations, but they still clung onto him, threatening tears once again. He wordlessly clasped Gladio’s wrist and focused on his presence as best as he could, eyes closed, eyebrows pinched with worry. 

Gladio used his other hand to rub the Noct’s knuckles and rested his own head on Noct’s. At that moment, they weren’t Prince and Shield, but just Noctis and Gladiolus. 

Ignis returned with a duffle bag filled with clothes, toiletries, and other effects. “Noctis…,” he tested.  
  
Noctis slowly straightened up and opened his eyes. Red rimmed. Tired. Worn out.

“The Marshal shall be here soon. We’ll give him our statements and then head to the Citadel. We won’t be able to stay here for the time being.”  
  
“Yeah,” Noctis replied simply. 

As if on cue, The Marshal called Ignis instead of knocking on the door as a courtesy to Noctis given the situation. Ignis greeted him, explaining the events through his eyes and they went into questioning without any pleasantries. Then, The Marshal spoke to Gladio briefly about any holes in security he noticed, saving Noctis for last.

The Marshal started off directly, “This note…”  
  
“It’s not from Prompto, Cor,” Noctis cut him off, sternly. “I know it’s not.”

The Marshal stayed silent for a moment. And neither Gladio nor Ignis argued with Noctis’ statement. Though _something_ hung in the air. And it wasn't the stench of the Grootslang. 

“Besides the obvious personnel, which we are looking into as we speak, can you think of anyone else that may have access to your apartment?” Cor continued, knowing that threats were prevalent in Noctis’ life, but was willing to take any lead Noctis could provide. 

Noctis took a moment to think, staring at the floor as he replayed his days in his head. He sighed-- less angry, and more annoyed-- the revelation stank more than the rotting head of a decapitated snake. “I didn’t think anything of it.” He ran a hand down his face. “Anguis.”

“The classmate that harassed you and Prompto the other day when you walked home together?” Ignis asked.

“Yeah… maybe. I don’t know. He- nevermind. Can we go?” Noctis reached for his belongings.

Gladio grunted, firmly placing his hand on Noctis' shoulder to keep him sitting. “First time I’ve heard of this.”

“He didn’t want to make it ‘a big deal’,” Ignis replied.

“I didn’t think he’d follow me here,” Noctis’ voice and defense cracking. 

“Tell me more about Anguis, if you would, Your Highness.” Cor wasn’t asking.  
  
Noctis slumped and sighed. “It came up in conversation once with me and Prom. He saw my scars, and so I told him. But then Anguis came in and Prompto accidentally blabbed about it and it became this whole thing. I thought if we ignored him, he’d get bored.”

“It being… the Marilith attack…,” Cor clarified.

“That would explain the _snake_ ,” Ignis mused to himself. 

Noctis flinched at the name, but still tried to feign courage. “Look, it was a long time ago. I’m- I’m over it.”

“You were eight,” Gladio grunted. 

“Yeah? So?” Noctis spat. He knew that. 

“I mean, it’s okay to still, you know… ,” Gladio treaded carefully, fixing his tone. “... Be uneasy about it all.”

Noctis stood up again, picking up his belongings. “Can we just go now? It’s just a bad prank.”  
  
Ignis crossed his arms. “Noct, this is hardly a bad prank. This is a threat.”

Noctis groaned, defeated. He just didn’t want to admit it. 

“I’ll look into this Anguis character,” Cor said simply. The boys glanced at each other, taken aback at how, despite Cor’s curt and monotonous tone, he managed to sound so menacing. 

“Just- Cor, don’t- I don’t want to make it worse than it already is, okay?”

“Of course, Your Highness,” Cor responded in the same manner as before.  
  
Noctis sighed, unconvinced.

“You know what comes next, Your Highness. Please surrender your phone and any other items that may have connectivity of any kind,” Cor held out his hand. 

"Laptop's in my room," Noctis complied, reluctantly fishing for his phone, taking a peek at it one last time before he was to be without it for a few days while on lockdown while they sorted out this mess. He hadn’t realized he received so many notifications.

“One sec,” he said, reading his notifications of 15 text messages and 4 missed calls from Prompto. 

> _[Dude, that’s not from me]_
> 
> _[Noct?]_
> 
> _[Please respond]_
> 
> _[Holy shit, dude. That present isn’t from me. Are u ok?]_

“Told you,” Noct smiled something that started off victorious then morphed into something sad and comforting all at the same time. He passing his phone around to the others. Gladio and Ignis were visibly relieved. 

“Though, this isn’t substantial proof of his innocence, Your Highness, it doesn’t incriminate him either,” Cor stated, shutting off Noctis’ phone and placing it in his pocket. 

“Just say you have a soft spot for the kid, too, Marshal,” Gladio smirked. He and Cor had grown close since Gladio’s 18th birthday. Here he was, a year later, testing Cor, The Immortal. 

“I’ll do no such thing.” Cor’s face remained blank. “He is still a suspect in all of this, and we’ll have to question him as well.”

“Yeah, I get it,” Noctis slumped. “Go easy on him, though, yeah? He’ll wet himself just thinking about getting interrogated.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My favorite Cor is a robotic Cor that has a soft spot for all the boys. I also don't know what he, as a marshal, does. In my brain, he's like spec ops or something. Everywhere and no where at the same time. Anyways, Anguis means snake in Latin because I'm not clever.


End file.
